


Payback

by Chalciope (nephele)



Category: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-09
Updated: 2013-10-09
Packaged: 2017-12-28 22:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/997715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nephele/pseuds/Chalciope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unhappy with Iolaus' choice in gifting the Golden Apple to Aphrodite, Artemis and Athena plot revenge. It doesn't go quite to plan...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Payback

"1574, 1575, 1576, 1577..."

The woman's muscles bunched and relaxed smoothly as she moved through her workout. Her tan skin gleamed under a light coating of perspiration. The golden brown hair was tied back in an efficient ponytail. The short leather outfit she wore revealed every curve in her well-toned body.

"1628, 1629, 1630, 1631..."

The only watcher looked on in irritation. This woman was very different. She had dark hair where her companion's was light, and fair skin to the other's tan. She wore a simple chiton, but her bearing made it seem elegant.

"Are you going to do that all day?"

"I could," the athlete replied somewhat defensively.

"I'm sure you could, Artemis, but that's not really the point."

The goddess interrupted her pushups long enough to take a good look at her companion. "Athena, if you have something you want to say, just say it."

"We have to do something about what happened in Syros."

"What do you mean? Everything worked out fine. Hercules took care of it."

"That's not what I'm talking about! I'm referring to that idiot mortal."

Artemis' only reply was a quizzical frown.

The goddess of wisdom sighed in exasperation. "You know, that Iolaus character, the one who chose 'love' over wisdom or skill."

"Yeah, so?"

"Don't you think," Athena spoke slowly as if to a small child, "that we should teach him a lesson?"

"I don't know. Isn't he Hercules' friend? We kind of owe the big guy right now. Maybe we should leave his buddy alone."

"We don't owe Hercules anything! He wasn't doing all that for us! He was doing it to help those mortals. Helping us was strictly a side effect."

"Okay, so what did you have in mind?"

"Well," Athena smiled slyly. "Since he chose love instead of something useful, I think we should use love to punish him."

Artemis finally halted her workout and sat down. "Tell me more."

________________________________________

It was a gorgeous day. The sky was an amazing shade of blue with just enough puffy white clouds to make it picturesque. The temperature was mild. The flowers were in bloom and the birds were singing. In short, it was a perfect day to be outdoors and Iolaus was making the most of it. Hercules was off on a family visit. He'd invited Iolaus along, of course, but Iphicles was going to be there. He always got the feeling that Hercules' mortal brother resented Iolaus' close relationship with the demigod. He wanted to give the brothers some space. He couldn't tell Hercules that that was his reason, though; he'd just try to talk him into going anyway. Luckily the city of Lemnos was having its spring fair this week. That gave him a good excuse. If Hercules thought his friend was frivolous for going to a fair instead of a 'family' party, well, Iolaus could live with that. He had to admit, if only to himself, that it would have been nice to see Alcmene. He'd get another chance though, and the fair should be fun.

Iolaus figured it would take him about a day and half to get to Lemnos. By then the fair should be in full swing. He'd be able to spend at least three days enjoying the festivities before he'd have to head out to rejoin Hercules. A nice little vacation, not long enough to get bored, or lonely. He tried to stifle that last thought, but the truth was he did feel lonely. Hercules really was the only 'family' he had, it seemed. Iolaus was starting to get depressed.

"Stop that!" he told himself. "It's a beautiful day and you're going to a fair where there will be good food, pretty girls and lots to do. So cheer up!" In an effort to obey his own orders, Iolaus started singing as he walked along.

He'd just gotten to the interesting bit in the third verse when he heard some noises in the distance. It sounded like voices shouting. He picked up the pace. As he topped the next rise, the source of the disturbance came into view.

A small group of soldiers were harassing a lone woman. There were four of them. They didn't stand a chance. Iolaus was pleased when they put up enough a fight to make things exciting. Soon enough, the soldiers fled, leaving Iolaus and the woman alone.

Iolaus took a moment to catch his breath. The woman seemed nervous even with her attackers gone. She was just watching him. For a moment, Iolaus thought he knew her, but he dismissed that idea as wishful thinking. She was quite lovely, he noticed, in a quiet sort of way. Her skin was smooth and fair and her long hair was so dark it almost seemed to absorb the light. She was slim and tall. Well, Iolaus had long since gotten over being bothered by who was taller. He didn't like being called short, being dismissed like that for something that was so obviously out of his control. He knew that he was short, though. Having a best friend who topped you by a head made it tough to deny.

"Are you okay?" He flashed his most disarming smile. "I'm Iolaus, by the way."

"Thea." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" He stepped closer. He could see that she was trembling.

"Thea, my name..." She spoke louder, but now he could hear the shakiness in her voice. "They, those men..." She broke off as the reaction finally settled in.

Iolaus was by her side in an instant. He held her lightly and made soothing noises while she cried out her fear. After several minutes she pulled free, wiping her eyes.

"Sorry about that. I don't usually..." She trailed off with a helpless gesture.

"It's okay, I don't mind. Anyway, you had a good reason to be upset."

"Thank you, you're very kind."

They stood regarding each other silently for a moment. The fluttering of a piece of cloth on the ground broke them out of their stillness as Thea bent to retrieve it. There were several pieces of brightly decorated cloth scattered about. It took the two of them a few minutes to gather them all up. Iolaus paused to examine one of the pieces.

"These are nice," he commented. "Did you make them?"

"Yes. I was on my way to the fair in Lemnos to sell them."

"Really? I'm heading that way myself. Maybe we could travel together?"

"Oh, could we? That would be wonderful." The shy smile on her face agreed with her words. "After those men, I was afraid I'd have to turn back. I really need to sell these, though. I need the dinars."

"That settles it, then; we'll travel together. Speaking of traveling, there's still plenty of day left. We should probably put some distance between us and this place before we stop for the night."

"Do you think they'll come back?" The idea clearly alarmed her.

"Oh, I doubt it. Don't worry. It would be silly to waste such good traveling weather, that's all." He radiated confidence and Thea gratefully absorbed it.  
As they headed off down the road, neither noticed the woman watching them. "Off to a good start," she told herself. "Well done, Thea."

________________________________________

The pair chatted while they walked, keeping things light and getting acquainted with one another. When Iolaus mentioned Hercules in passing, Thea got quite excited. 'Here we go again,' he thought.

"So, you really know Hercules?" She asked with what could only be described as breathless excitement.

"Yeah," Iolaus confirmed good-naturedly. "In fact, he's my best friend."

"Don't you worry about him? I mean, he's always fighting all those monsters and things."

He was surprised. That wasn't the question he usually got. "Some, sure. Mostly I don't have time to worry. I'm usually fighting right along with him."

"Really?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "You must be very brave."

"Or stupid."

"No," she said after a moment. "I don't think you're stupid."

"Okay, foolhardy then."

"Maybe, but I still think you're brave. After all, you're not a half-god like Hercules. Yet you fight the same things he does. No wonder those soldiers didn't last long. You must be good to be able to survive being friends with Hercules."

"I guess." Iolaus was getting a bit embarrassed and decided it was time to change the subject. "What about you? I've done most of the talking so far. Why don't you tell me a little about your life?"

"Oh, there's not much to tell."

"How about your family?" He prompted.

"I don't have any, anymore. Not really, anyway."

"What do you mean 'not really'?"

"My parents both died several years ago and I never had any brothers or sisters. I'm supposed to have aunts, uncles and cousins somewhere, but my parents stopped talking to them before I was born. I never found out why. I also never found out who or where my relatives were."

"I'm sorry. I know how you feel."

She looked at him, asking the question with her expression.

"I never had much to do with my relatives either. Most of them are on my father's side, and he left us when I was little."

"He died?"

"No. Well, yeah, but that was later. What I mean is he just walked out, left us and never came back."

"Well, we make a pretty pathetic pair, don't we?" Her tone was light, joking, but there was pain behind those words.

They were silent for quite a while after that. When they started talking again, they kept it to inconsequentials.

As night approached, they started looking for a good campsite. They found a small clearing just a little way from the road. Thea started gathering dead wood for a fire. Iolaus spent some time scouting the area so there'd be no surprises in the middle of the night. By the time he got back to the clearing Thea had a nice fire going and was starting to work on dinner.

When she heard him coming, Thea was visibly started. She looked ready to run but calmed down when Iolaus came into the firelight.

"It's just me. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's not your fault, Iolaus. I guess I'm still a little jumpy. I'm just glad you're here. I'd be terrified if I was alone."

"Well, you can relax. I took a look around and there's no sign of anyone else nearby. Except for this fellow." He held up the rabbit he'd caught while scouting.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Thea smiled as she took his catch from Iolaus. "All I had was bread and cheese. Now we can have a much better dinner." She set to work preparing their meal. "It was truly lucky for me that you showed up when you did. Protector, provider and friend." She smiled up at him as he joined her by the fire.

They ate in companionable silence, enjoying the pleasant stillness of the evening. Thea found herself constantly watching her companion. She hadn't really noticed before how handsome he was. The firelight picked out the gold in his skin and turned his hair into a halo of sunlight. He was full of energy, never quite still at any moment. Yet his movements held a certain economical grace. His eyes were shadows in the dim light, but she remembered the clear blue she had seen earlier. She noticed, suddenly, that he was looking at her. As soon as that fact registered, Thea realized she'd been staring. She turned away, hoping the light wasn't bright enough to show the blush she felt creeping across her face.

'She blushes prettily,' Iolaus thought. He didn't usually go for the shy type. That was probably only because he rarely had the time to pursue them. Thea was traveling with him, though. They'd have time to get to know each other better, and she certainly was lovely. If Thea noticed the smile that teased at his lips, she didn't comment.

________________________________________

It was only a small noise, but it brought Iolaus instantly awake. He was up and scanning the area before he'd even realized be wasn't asleep any more. It didn't take long to figure out what had disturbed him. Thea lay tangled in her blankets, thrashing about and calling out in her sleep. Iolaus knelt at her side.

"Thea?" he put a hand on her shoulder intending to shake her gently. As soon as she felt the touch, she cam violently awake. She struck out blindly in her terror. Iolaus caught her up in a gentle hug, talking to her, trying to soothe her.

"Shh, it's okay, Thea. It's me, Iolaus. you're safe." He babbled on for a while, knowing his tone mattered more than his words. Gradually she relaxed. She reached out and hugged him back.

"Iolaus?"

"It's okay. It was just a nightmare, Thea. You're all right now."

"I'm sorry for being so silly."

"You're not silly. Nightmares can be pretty terrifying. You don't have anything to be embarrassed about."

"Have you ever had a nightmare? I mean a really bad one like that?"

"Yeah, more than once."

"Thank you, Iolaus."

He started to pull away, but she clung tighter. "Please, just hold me for a while." They stayed that way, quietly holding one another for some time. Eventually, they fell asleep still entwined.

The bright morning light banished any lingering night fears. Thea was embarrassed anew when she remembered what had happened. She was even more embarrassed when she realized how comforting it was to be wrapped in Iolaus' strong arms. She didn't want to move, didn't want to break the spell. She could smell him, as close as they were. It was intoxicating and a little scary. Finally he stirred.

"Morning," he muttered. She could feel his breath as he leaned in and place a soft kiss on her brow. "Feeling better?" She just snuggled closer in reply. They stayed that way for a moment until he stirred again. "We should probably get going, if we're going to get to Lemnos today." Neither moved. "I suppose we should," this from Thea. A few more minutes passed, then Iolaus sighed and got up. Thea watched him moving about the camp, collecting their things. When he finished he came back over and squatted down next to her.

"You just going to stay there?"

"Maybe," she said with a grin.

Iolaus grabbed the edge of the blanket she was lying on. He gathered up the slack. "One, two, three..." The mischievous glint in his eyes was her only warning. She decided it probably was time to get up. "Okay, okay, I'm up!" She scrambled to her feet as Iolaus rolled up the last of the blankets.

________________________________________

They'd been on the road for a couple of hours when they heard the horses. The riders were coming down the road at a gallop. Iolaus and Thea stepped off to make way for them. When they got closer, Iolaus could see that they were soldiers, about twenty of them. He felt Thea stiffen at his side and turned to her.

"It's them," she whispered, her voice strangled by fear.

"The same ones from yesterday?"

"Run!" Was her only answer. They took off into the woods, but they'd been spotted and the soldiers pursued them. The trees were too sparse for cover and too open to bother the horsemen. The chase was over before it really started.

Now that he could see them properly, Iolaus recognized a couple of the men from the day before. They looked happy to see him. He didn't feel too good about that.

"Well, little man, want to try your luck again?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Is this all the help you could find?" It was probably the wrong thing to say, he decided. Several of the men advanced on him. It wasn't much of a fight. Iolaus used every tactic in his arsenal, but twenty to one were lousy odds. It didn't take them long to get him pinned down and any damage he'd managed to inflict just made them angrier. The one who'd spoken earlier took advantage of his vulnerability. He sent a couple of hard kicks into Iolaus' side, cracking ribs in the process. He was readying another kick when a voice stopped him.

"Hold!" The speaker came into Iolaus' line of sight. Based on the quality of his armor and clothes, he was the one in charge. "He's worth more alive."

Somehow, that news didn't make the hunter feel any better. They hauled him to his feet and bound his wrists behind his back. Now that he was standing, he could see Thea in the grip of two men. Her hands were tied too, though in her case they were in front. The soldiers were leering at her and she looked terrified. When their eyes met, Iolaus did his best to project confidence and she smiled weakly. The soldiers put Thea up on one of the horses and tied her to the saddle. The leader looped a rope around Iolaus' chest and secured the other end to his own saddle before mounting up.

"Where are you taking us?" The only answer Iolaus got was a tug on the rope as the horses started off.

________________________________________

It felt like he'd been walking for days. The damage he'd sustained earlier was making life very difficult for Iolaus. He had stumbled a couple of times already and been dragged along for several feet before the riders stopped. He was sure now that his ribs were broken. The falls had just made things worse and every breath sent flashes of white hot pain through his side. By the time their captors decided to stop for the night, he felt feverish and weak.

The men bound their captives to a convenient tree before setting up camp. Once they were secured the pair was ignored.

"Iolaus, I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry, we'll get out of this mess. Anyway, it's not your fault." He tried to reassure her but his voice was shaky with fatigue. They had been set next to one another, shoulders touching. Thea could feel the unhealthy heat radiating off the injured man. Concern for him made her brave.

"He needs water!" Her shout was ignored. "If he's worth more alive," she tried, "don't you think you should try to keep him that way?" That produced a reaction.

The leader spoke to one of his men, who got up and brought over a water skin. After he'd given both prisoners a chance to drink, he returned to the fire. He didn't speak to them. In fact, none of the soldiers had said anything to them since they'd been captured, not even to taunt them. It was one of the most unnerving aspects of their situation.

Thea didn't want to risk asking for food as well. Besides, it looked as though Iolaus had already fallen asleep. She moved as close to him as the ropes would allow. Soon she too was asleep.

The next day started out much the same. The soldiers had given them water before setting out, but again, no food. Iolaus seemed better after a night's rest, but before long he began stumbling again. Once again, concern for him made Thea swallow her fear.

"He needs to rest! If you keep going like this, you'll be dragging a corpse behind you." She was ignored. She looked back at Iolaus just in time to see him fall again. "Iolaus!" Thea thrashed about, desperate to free herself, to go to him. The riders pulled their horses to a stop, but this time Iolaus didn't get up on his own.

One of the men went over and yanked him to his feet. He stood there swaying unsteadily, his eyes glazed. 

"Sir, he ain't gonna last much longer," the soldier informed his commander. 

The man studied Iolaus for a moment before nodding his agreement. "Put him on your horse." They tied their prisoner belly down across the horse's back. That done, they resumed their travels.

He was adrift in a sea of pain. Every stride of the horse jolted him anew, sending fire through his broken ribs. He kept trying to think, to come up with an escape plan. The pain was making that impossible. He'd long since stopped wondering about their destination. His only coherent thoughts concerned Thea's safety.

Shortly after mid-day, the soldiers turned off the main road. An hour later they arrived at a fortress, their fortress. The gates opened at their approach. As soon as the gates closed behind the last rider, the commander gave the order to dismount. Other orders swiftly followed. Thea was pulled from her horse. With one soldier on each arm, she was taken inside.

They took her down to a cell in the dungeon. Here, her hands were finally untied, and she was given a loaf of bread and a water skin. Two more of the men arrived. They were half carrying, half dragging Iolaus between them. He was dumped on the cell floor. The soldiers locked the cell door and departed.

"Iolaus?" 

Thea had been afraid to move while their captors were present, but now she knelt at the warrior's side. His face was pale and still. She saw that they'd left his hands tied and worked to free him. That done, she turned him onto his back and straightened his limbs into a more comfortable position. In the process, she discovered the bruises over his ribs. Thea ran her hands carefully over his side, checking for damage. Iolaus moaned when her fingers found the broken bones.

"Shh, Iolaus, easy." She ran a hand over his brow, soothing him. When he stilled, Thea started ripping strips off the hem of her skirt. When she had enough she turned back to the injured man.

"Iolaus, can you wake up a little?" She patted his cheek gently. After a moment he stirred and opened his eyes.

"Thea, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Iolaus. You're the one I'm worried about. It looks like you have a couple of broken ribs. We need to get some bandages around them, but I'm going to need you help to do it. Do you think you could sit up if I help you?"

"Sure," he smiled at her. "I'm not that bad off, really, just tired."

She knew he was lying, trying to make her feel better. 'As badly as he's been hurt,' she thought, 'and he's still more worried about me.' She slipped a slender arm around his shoulders and helped him sit up. She felt him tense against the pain but he stayed silent. Once he was upright it was straightforward. She removed his vest and used the strips she'd made to securely bind his ribs.

"Thanks," he said as she helped him back into his vest. "That feels a lot better."

"You should eat something now, then rest."

Their eyes met. Thea, suddenly breathless, leaned toward him slightly. Iolaus met her halfway and kissed her gently. She was startled by the strength of her response. It frightened her a little. She pulled back, eyes shyly down. "Rest." She made it an order. The hunter let out a disappointed sigh as he lay back down. Thea changed positions offering him her lap as a pillow. The hunter happily accepted and was soon sleeping soundly.

Thea studied his sleeping face for a while, then settled back to rest herself. She was just about to drop off when she became aware of another presence in the cell. She opened her eyes just as the new comer squatted down next to the couple and spoke.

"Well, I've got to admit, this is working even better than you said. I think it's time for phase three, don't you?"

"Artemis, I'm not sure we should go through with this. I think he's learned his lesson."

The bronzed athlete frowned. "You know what the problem is, don't you? I told you coming down here as a full mortal was a bad idea. Of course, Athena always knows better, doesn't she? You're succumbing to mortal feelings, sis. Snap out of it and get on with the plan!"

"It's not that!" Thea was clearly flustered. "I'm just having second thoughts. What if Hercules finds out what we've done?"

"Hercules, schmercules! You're in love with him, admit it!"

"Don't be stupid, you sound like Aphrodite!"

The huntress' eyes narrowed at the perceived insult. "I'm going to forget you said that, seeing as how you're at a disadvantage right now. I'll be back later. You just better think real hard and figure out what you want before I return!" With that, she vanished in a shower of golden sparks.

Thea looked down at the man asleep in her lap. 'What do I want?' She wondered. 'I am NOT in love with him. The very idea is absurd! Wisdom precludes that sort of nonsense. Just because I'm temporarily mortal... She's just jealous, that's what it is!' That idea pleased her. 'She wishes she was here alone with him. She wishes those glorious sapphire eyes would look at her the way they look at me. That those soft lips had kissed her like they did me. Look at him, sleeping there. He trusts me just like I trust him. Just like I...' She blanched suddenly.

"Great Zeus! I am in love with him!" Thea covered her mouth realizing she'd actually vocalized that last bit. A quick glance at Iolaus showed he was still asleep. 'Thank Zeus for that!' She caught herself watching him with an insipid smile on her face and closed her eyes in disgust. 'What am I going to do? I can't go through with the rest of it now. I can't hurt him. I've got to get out of here! If I stay there's no telling what could happen.'

Iolaus would have been very surprised if he had seen the rather wicked smile that crossed her face at that moment. She watched him sleep, thinking of all the things that could happen if she stayed. She lost track of time as her imagination painted ever more elaborate pictures.

A soft chuckle broke her out of her thoughts. She looked up and me her sister's amused gaze. "Boy, have you got it bad!"

"Artemis, I've decided. I'm not going through with this."

The goddess of the Hunt sighed, "Yeah, I thought so. Let's get out of here."

"What? No! We can't just leave him. Not like this!" 'Not at all,' her subconscious added.

"Athena, you're the one that talked me into this scheme, remember? I was willing to go along with it, but if you're going to go all soppy on me, well, I've got better things to do."

"But I need your help."

"For this? I don't think so. Try Aphrodite." Once again the goddess vanished.

"Artemis! Get back here! Now what am I going to do?"

Iolaus picked that moment to stir. "Thea?"

"Right here, Iolaus. How do you feel?"

"Better, rested."

'What a glorious smile,' she thought.

"How are you doing?" He asked, sitting up. He saw a strange expression cross Thea's face. It almost looked like guilt.

"I...I guess I'm worried, Iolaus."

"Don't be, I'll get us out of this mess."

"I know you will," she smiled. Thea leaned closer to her companion and a moment later they joined in a kiss. It started out gently but quickly increased in passion. Before they could get too carried away, they were interrupted.

The peals of feminine laughter preceded her appearance by several seconds. "Oh, this is too good!"

"Aphrodite!" Iolaus and Thea cried out in recognition.

"You know, when Arty told me what you two were up to, I just had to check it out."

"Aphrodite, are you responsible for all this?" Iolaus stood, keeping himself between the other two.

"No way, sweetcheeks! I'm strictly a spectator on this gig. You can thank my sisters for this little game."

"Sisters? Artemis and..." He thought for a moment then, "and Athena, right?"

"You got it babe! They cooked up this little plot to get back at you over that apple business."

"Do you know what they're planning?"

"Well..."

Thea couldn't take it anymore. "Aphrodite, shut up!"

Iolaus looked at her, shock evident in his expression. "Thea, what's gotten into you?"

"I'm sorry, Iolaus. I don't want to hurt you, not any more."

"What are you talking about?" He looked back and forth between the two women in confusion.

Instead of answering him, Thea, Athena turned to her sister. "Help."

"A little out of your depth on this one, sis?"

"Aphrodite, please?"

"Oh, okay."

Iolaus had had enough. "All right, what's going on here? How do you two know each other? And what-" Aphrodite waved her hand, cutting him off mid-sentence. He stood frozen in place, unmoving and unaware.

"There, now we can talk without interruptions." She studied Iolaus briefly. "I can see how you got caught up in this, sis. He's even cute when he's all flustered and confused." She ran a hand caressingly down his chest.

"Hey! Hands off!" Athena sounded furious.

"Sorry! Boy, are we possessive!"

Athena looked embarrassed. "Just don't, okay?"

"Whatever. So, how do you want to handle this sitch?"

"I'm not sure, but I do know I don't want to hurt him, however we do this."

They thought for a moment, then Aphrodite's eyes lit up. "I know!"

________________________________________

It was another glorious day. Iolaus stretched out the kinks gained from a night spent sleeping on the ground. 'A couple more hours,' he thought, 'and I'll be at the fair in Lemnos.' He frowned suddenly. He had the strangest feeling that he was forgetting something, something important. For the life of him, he couldn't recall what. Finally, he shrugged, dismissing the feeling. He gathered up his things and headed down the road.

From her vantage point nearby, Athena watched him walk away, tears in her eyes.

\---- THE END ----


End file.
